Another Zondervan Book Giveaway

The deadline for entering the book giveaway I’m hosting here at Fundamentally Reformed, for Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality by Wesley Hill is just about up. The drawing will be held 8pm Central time tomorrow (Wednesday, March 2). You’ll want to be sure you enter that.

Along these lines, I wanted to let my blog readers know about a giveaway hosted at the group site KJVOnlyDebate.com that I manage. Once again Zondervan is sponsoring the giveaway. We’re giving away one 2 volume commentary set each week through the month of March. Swing on by and enter this week’s contest. Just click the button below.

Reformation Week Book Giveaway & More

This is the week before we celebrate Reformation Day. 493 years ago, on the night before All Saints’ Day, Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses on the Wittenburg Church door. Everyone entering the church for the next day’s festivities, would be sure to see his theses, and the door often served as a community bulletin board. Today, we look back to that event, on October 31, 1517 as perhaps the single event most responsible for the start of the Protestant Reformation.

In honor of Reformation Day, I plan on posting several related posts. On the Wednesday after Reformation Day, I’ll be giving away a copy of A Reformation Reader by Denis Janz (Fortress Press). Between now and then, I’ll have a series of posts highlighting selections from the Reformer’s works, and possibly a few Reformation-themed book reviews interspersed in there.

A Reformation Reader gives you multiple excerpts from Reformation era documents, and some historical analysis. It sheds light on the era of the Reformation and while one may not always agree with the author’s conclusions, the selections make for excellent reading. This copy is furnished courtesy of the kind folks at Augsburg Fortress Press. Feel free to read my review of the book, too.

To enter the contest, fill out the form below. If you subscribe to this blog or follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you get additional chances to win. You can subscribe or follow me now, in time to get the additional entry, too. UPDATE: You can post an update to your blog, Twitter or Facebook page publicizing this giveaway for an additional entry, too.

I’ll be updating the tally on which Reformer is the most popular too, in the comments below. Early on it’s John Calvin in the lead ahead of Luther and Huss.

 

This contest is now closed. The winner was announced in this post.

 

United by the Gospel & Together for the Gospel

Over at Christian Book Notes, there is a contest currently running to win copies of the 2 book-compilations of messages from the previous 2 Together for the Gospel conferences (2006 & 2008). Both books are published by Crossway.

To enter the contest, you are to leave a comment, “regarding how the essential truths of the gospel unifies all (true) believers”. That got me thinking and I thought I’d share my thoughts here for my readers’ benefit. I also encourage you to go enter the contest yourself, it runs through Monday.

One more thing before I share my thoughts. You can download most of the 2010 T4G messages now, and the rest will be up shortly I assume.

The cross humbles us. It lays bare all our evil hearts. No one can raise his head when faced with how wicked his own sin is. Sin’s extent is displayed in the gravity of Calvary. There, the Creator God manifested in human flesh, died a tortured and bloody death to pay sin’s terrible price.

The cross then gives us all the same hope. The hope that our sins are dealt with and grace and mercy can come to us from Christ our crucified and risen Savior. The same hope of eternal glory and joy that never ends in Christ’s presence, acceptance with God, forgiveness of sins– this same hope is extended to all who believe in Christ as the sufficient sacrifice for their sins.

The cross, then, should also unify us around an appreciation of gospel truth and the spreading of it’s gospel glories. Smaller points of disagreement find their perspective when weighed in the light of the cross. If we share a joyous faith in a gospel of grace that flows to us from the cross of Jesus, then that is a big thing indeed. It is so big and so important, that differences over baptism, eschatology, church government, preferences of music or dress styles, and the like should pale in comparison.

When we magnify every relatively minor position on any given question, the gospel loses its status and becomes just one more point to agree or disagree on. This is the tragedy of sectarianism run wild. It makes mountains out of mole hills, and minimizes the importance of the truly central and cardinal truths related to the gospel.

Sorry I got a little carried away, but this is why I love the concept of T4G and The Gospel Coalition so much. There is great potential for unity when we see how glorious the Gospel really is.

Book Deal & Free Books Alert

Free Books Alert

Tyndale House Publishers are celebrating the launch of their newly redesigned website by giving away a four books each day for the next 30 days (starting Feb. 1st). Here is the press release I received via email.

As a faithful blogger and Tyndale supporter I just wanted to give you some information on the exciting launch of our new Tyndale.com website. On February 1st we will be introducing a newly designed, more user friendly, and information packed site.

As a blogger and social media user here are some exciting features that can benefit you:

  • Links to all of Tyndale’s social media sites
  • A list of all Tyndale authors and their blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts, etc.
  • A place where you can share stories about Tyndale products that have had an effect on your life
  • Under product details you can post reviews with a link to your own blog so others can see the exciting other books you’ve been reviewing

To celebrate the launch of this new site, Tyndale is giving away four books a day in the following categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Bibles, and Kids.

All you have to do is visit the site to sign up. If you don’t win one day, keep coming back to sign up!

Feel free to pass this information along to your friends, family, blog readers, Facebook friends, or Twitter followers. Don’t feel obligated to pass this information along, but please visit www.tyndale.com starting on February 1st for a chance to win!

Book Deal

This weekend only there is a big sale on an important book. Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority & the Age of the Earth edited by Terry Mortenson and Thane Ury (published by New Leaf Group / Master Books) is on sale at Grace Books Intl. for only $6.99 (this weekend only).

I will be reviewing this book in the coming months, but here are my first impressions of the book. This is the best Biblical case for young earth creationism that I’ve seen. I think that those grappling with the question of old earth vs. young earth creationism, should take the time to read this big book and hear the young earth viewpoint out. I plan on listening and evaluating the arguments at length. With the book available for $10 off it’s normal price, it’d be a good time to pick up a copy.

Free AudioBook: Desiring God by John Piper

I recently downloaded Desiring God by John Piper as an audio book for free from ChristianAudio.com. My friend Shaun Tabatt (of Bible Geek Gone Wild) explains how to download the book for yourself.

It’s one of Piper’s books that is especially worth grappling with. I’m looking forward to listening to it on my drive to and from work each morning. Be sure to take advantage of the offer before the end of November!